Maternity panty



Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERNITY PANTYSallie B. Mcberin, (Jana! Winchester, Ohio, now by change of name SallieB. Bigger Application November 23, 1948, Serial No. 61,690

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in clothing and isparticularly directed to maternity garments of the underclothing class.

An object of this invention is to provide an undergarment comprising apair of panties which are so constructed that they may be worn by awoman in normal condition 01' early stages of pregnancy and during themore advanced and final stages of pregnancy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of maternitypanties which have an expansible abdominal section and means foradjusting such section between contracted and expanded conditions sothat the efiective size of the garment may be readily adapted to theneeds of a particular user at different stages of pregnancy.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pair of maternitypanties having an abdominal portion of considerable length and means,such as draw strings for varying the effective length of such abdominalportion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pair of pantieshaving conventional seat and crotch portions and an abdominal portionsecured at its side edges to those of the seat portion, the side edgesof the former being of greater length than the latter and being gatheredas the same is stitched thereto, the abdominal portion being providedwith upwardly extending means in the nature of draw-strings which may beused to vary the effective length of the abdominal portion.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pair of pantieshaving conventional seat and crotch portions and an abdominal portion ofmaterially greater length than conventional panties and providing aplurality of casings which extend upwardly across the abdominal portionand which receive ribbon-like elements by means of which the effectivelength of the abdominal portion may be varied, the ribbon-like elementsbeing secured at one end of the casing so that by applying a drawingforce to the elements at the opposite end of the casing the abdominalportion can be gathered or plaited to decrease the effective lengththereof.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view looking toward the front of a garmentformed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking toward the back of the garment;

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken through the garmenton the plane indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through the garment onthe plane indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing numeral 26 designates thegarment in its entirety. This garment may be formed of suitable materialand from two or more pieces depending upon the desires of themanufacturer. It includes a conventional seat or back portion 2|, acrotch portion 22 and an abdominal or front portion '23. The crotch andback portions are stitched together in a conventional manner as at 24,the former being secured also in the conventional manner as at 25 to theabdominal or front portion 23. The lower and side edges of theabdominal, the seat and the crotch portions are suitably shaped so thatwhen the pieces are assembled leg openings 26 will be formed. These maybe encircled by casings 21 for the reception of elastic garments notshown, or, left plain, also depending upon the desires of themanufacturer.

One of the important features of the present invention is to form theabdominal portion 23 of a length materially greater than theconventional length of similar parts of such garments. Due to the lengththe side edges of the abdominal portion are gathered or plaited as at 23at the time they are being sewed to the side edges of the back portion.The upper edges of the back and abdominal portions may also be providedwith a casing indicated by the numeral 39. This casing, in the form ofthe invention shown, receives a ribbon-like element 3!, the ends ofwhich extend outwardly through an opening 32 at the approximate centerof the casing in the upper edge of the abdominal portion. By drawing theends of the element 3! outwardly through the opening 32, the wearer mayadjust the circumference of the waist-line of the garment to suit herparticular needs.

The abdominal portion is provided with a pair of double casings 33,which extend from the junctures of the sides edges of the crotch portionwith the lower edge of the abdominal portion, upwardly across theabdominal portion. In the form of the invention shown the upper ends orthese casings 33 are disposed slightly to either side of the center ofthe abdominal portion and the casings thus extend upwardly and outwardlyat a slight angle rather than truly vertical. These double casings 33receive ribbon-like elements 34, the center portions of which aresecured to the abdominal portion in the lower ends of the casings. Theupper ends of the casings 33 are open so that the ribbon-elements mayextend therefrom, where they can be readily grasped by the wearer inadjusting the size of the garment. It is obvious that theribbon-elements could be secured in the upper ends of the casings ifdesired and have the adjustment thereof performed at the lower ends. Inadjusting the length of the abdominal portion the ribbons 34 are pulledoutwardly of the casings 33 and cause the material of the abdominalportion to be gathered or plaited throughout the entire length thereof.When the proper size has been determined the ribbon may be tied in a bowor other knot to maintain the adjustment. It is obvious that the lengthof the abdominal portion and the circumference of the waist portion ofthe garment may be increased as occasion demands, merely by untieing theribhon-like elements and releasing the same. After the desired increasein size has been secured these elements may again be knotted.

While the invention has been illustrated in only one form, it should beobvious that many minor changes may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A parity-like garment comprising united seat, crotch and abdominalportions, the length of the side edges of said abdominal portion beingmaterially greater than that of the seat portion to which they areattached so that the former must be gathered: a casing ext-endingupwardly from each side of the crotch portion to the upper edge of saidabdominal portion; draw string means in said casings, said draw stringmeans serving to increase the efiective length of said abdominal portionbeyond the length of a conventional garment.

2. A parity-like garment comprising seat and crotch portions; anabdominal portion joined at the bottom edge to said crotch portion, theside edges of said abdominal portion being of greater length than theside edges of said seat portion and gathered and secured thereto; partsof the edges of said abdominal and crotch portions form ing legopenings; casings extending from the ends of the juncture of said crotchand. abdominal portions to the upper edge of the latter; an additionalcasing extending along the upper edge of said abdominal and seatportions; and draw string means in said casings, said draw string meansserving to increase the efiective waist diameter of the garment and theeffective length of said abdominal portion beyond the lengths of thecorresponding portions of a conventional garment.

3. A maternity garment comprising a seat portion having side edges ofsubstantially conventional length; a crotch portion; an abdominalportion secured to said crotch portion, said abdominal portion havingside edges of materially greater length than the side edges of said seatportion, the side edges of said abdominal portion being pleated andsecured to the side edges of said seat portion; and means extending fromthe ends of the seam between the abdominal and crotch portions upwardlyto the upper edge of said abdominal portion, said means being effectiveto change the length of the abdominal portion of such garment from aconventional length to a materially great length.

4. A maternity garment comprising a seat portion having side edges ofsubstantially conventional length; a crotch portion provided on saidseat portion; an abdominal portion secured to said crotch portion, saidabdominal portion having side edges of materially greater length thanthose of said seat portion, the side edges of said abdominal portionbeing pleated and secured to the side edges of said seat portion; atubular casing extending from points adjacent each end of the seambetween the abdominal and crotch portions upwardly across the abdominalportion to points adjacent the upper edge thereof; and drawstring meansin said casings, said drawstrings serving to gather the abdominalportion to reduce it to conventional length.

5. A maternity garment comprising a seat portion having side edges ofsubstantially conventional length; a crotch portion provided on saidseat portion; an abdominal portion secured to said crotch portion, saidabdominal portion having side edges of materially greater length thanthose of said seat portion, the side edges of said abdominal portionbeing pleated and secured to the side edges of said seat portion; adouble tubular casing extending from a point adjacent each end of theseam between the abdominal and crotch portions upwardly across theabdominal portion to points adjacent the upper edge thereof; and aninelastic flexible tape secured at its intermediate portion at one endof each casing, said tapes serving to gather the abdoi'iinal portion toreduce its effective length to substantially conventional length.

6. A maternity garment comprising a seat portion having side edges ofsubstantially conventional length; a crotch portion provided on saidseat portion; an abdominal portion secured at its lower end to saidcrotch portion, said abdominal portion having side and waist edges withlengths materially greater than those of a conventional garment, theside edges of said abdominal portion being pleated and secured to theside edges of said seat portion; a casing provided at the waist edge ofsaid abdominal portion; drawstring means in said casing, said drawstringmeans being operative to gather the material of said abdominal portionat the waist to reduce it to substantially conventional length; a casingextending from each end of the seam between the abdominal and crotchportions upwardly across the abdominal portion to points adjacent thewaist edge; and a drawstring in each of the second mentioned casings,said drawstrings serving to gather the material of the abdominal portionto reduce the effective length of such portion to substantiallyconventional length.

SALLIE B. MCFERIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 136,860 Walker Dec. 14, 1943964,697 Rogers July 19, 1910 1,281,058 Neilson Oct. 8, 1918 1,628,891Lefirowitz 1. May 17, 1927 2,391,641 OHern Dec. 25, 1945 2,462,195Jacobson Feb. 22, 1949 2,484,467 Schacht Oct. 11, 1949 2,513,039 MillerJune 27,1950

